11 Surprising Jobs You Can Do From Home

If you’re tired of commuting to work or looking for a way to break out of the 9-to-5 grind, there are many unusual and interesting jobs you can do from home.

Many people enjoy the work-from-home lifestyle, says Brie Reynolds, senior career specialist at FlexJobs, a subscription-based job board for remote and other flexible positions. People who work from home generally have greater control over their schedules and work environments.

“You are able to have a more quiet and distraction-free workplace,” Reynolds tells Money Talks News. “You control the temperature of the room, the lights, the amount of fresh air you are getting. You are independent. You are being trusted to do your work and manage your schedule as you see fit.”

Finding a remote job

Once you’ve decided to try a work-from-home job, you need to figure out how to find the one that’s right for you. Here are some tips to ease your search:

Use the best keywords: If you’re searching for remote jobs online, you’ll get better results if you use certain keywords. “Remote job,” “telecommuting job” and “virtual job” are popular keywords among legitimate employers, according to FlexJobs.

Avoid using “work from home” or “work at home,” since those keywords often are used by scammers.

Check out company websites: If you can’t find remote job possibilities on employment websites, try looking at the individual websites of companies that interest you, recommends Forbes.

Use your personal network: If you have a network of friends and business contacts, be sure to put it to work in your job search. Let your contacts know the type of remote jobs you are looking for.

“If possible, tapping into your own network is a great way to begin your remote job search,” says Chloe Brittain, an audio transcriptionist who works from home in Alberta, Canada.

Start out as a part-timer: If you can’t find a full-time remote job, a good way to get your professional foot in the door is to begin working remotely as a freelancer, says Hasam Machlovi, a managing partner at With Pulp, a creative technology studio that recruits workers who work from home.

Review FlexJobs’ company rankings: Check FlexJobs’ blog for its latest rankings of employers that hire for remote positions.

Avoiding scams

Whenever you look for a job you can do from home, you need to watch out for scams. FlexJobs estimates that for every legitimate work-from-home opportunity, there are 60 to 70 job scams.

Reynolds, the Flexjobs senior career specialist, recommends that job hunters do the following things to stay clear of scammers:

Beware of requests for money: No legitimate business will ask you to invest your own money for training or equipment.

“That is one of the biggest red flags,” Reynolds says.

Guard your personal information: Be very careful about revealing your Social Security number or the number of your bank account.

“Requests from legitimate companies usually come after a job offer is extended,” Reynolds says.

Don’t fall for get-rich-quick schemes: If someone promises you a bundle of money for little or no work, it’s probably a scam.